B101 Drops Delilah again.

[101tm]

The problem is it could take years to develop local or regional talent to the point where it sticks. Premiere has a couple of decades head start on Audacy. I get it, that owning your inventory rather than bartering it away is ultimately the best plan. But, if the new talent doesn't catch fire, you're sitting there with a whole lot of open inventory.

100%. At least in my market with WYRD, Audacy struggled replacing Limbaugh after his passing. They initially went with Dana Loesch (as did a handful of other Audacy talk stations) who apparently didn’t do very well and was replaced with Compass’s Erick Erickson based at WSB in Atlanta for a short period of time. Last month Erickson was replaced with a second rate local host from 12-3.

Audacy doesn’t have the muscle even Cumulus has with WW1 to avoid using much, if any Premiere programming. The alternative they’re stuck with is second rate shows and hosts whether local or national, at least in these smaller markets.

 

[Kelly A]

They might be under the false impression that listeners give a wit about live and local. It's a great thing to shoot for in theory, but ultimately what listeners was is the highest quality. Doesn't matter if that quality is based out of some city other than the local one.

 

[Kent]

They might be under the false impression that listeners give a wit about live and local. It's a great thing to shoot for in theory, but ultimately what listeners was is the highest quality. Doesn't matter if that quality is based out of some city other than the local one.

I occasionally had calls asking if one of my stations was live 24/7, but they were rare. They also were almost always young males. It wasn’t common, though.

My experience was always that most listeners weren’t really paying much attention to what we were saying, at least on music stations. We were talking to the engaged few while trying to make sure the shut up and play the music crowd wasn’t turned off. There were obviously a few exceptions, like severe weather, traffic issues, and major community events, but, otherwise, when and where we said what we said wasn’t important to much of anyone. Listeners who wanted personality had stations for them, but those weren’t many. Part of that may have been cheapness, but it was mostly because the bulk of the audience didn’t want overpowering personalities.

 

[Kelly A]

I occasionally had calls asking if one of my stations was live 24/7, but they were rare. They also were almost always young males. It wasn’t common, though.

I had a similar experience with one of my stations that ran Westwood One' Classic Hits. A listener stopped by the office with a pie for the (virtual) midday jock because they'd said something about how they liked apple pie. Our sales guy took the pie, thanked the listener, and said he would make sure the jock received the gift.
Of course, I had warned my folks about never eating 'listener food', so I suspect the pie ended up in the round file.

 

[davideduardo]

I had a similar experience with one of my stations that ran Westwood One' Classic Hits. A listener stopped by the office with a pie for the (virtual) midday jock because they'd said something about how they liked apple pie. Our sales guy took the pie, thanked the listener, and said he would make sure the jock received the gift.
Of course, I had warned my folks about never eating 'listener food', so I suspect the pie ended up in the round file.

I'm surprised at how many stations don't have a policy about not eating "listener food". I have heard enough stories about birthday cakes laced with ExLax and the like to be truly scared of such contributions.

Even since it was possible for studios to be in remote locations, I've found receptionists (when we had those) or front office staff would say, "Bill is working from his home studio today but we'll see if we can get it to him..." That way a sincere listener is not disappointed, but learns not to expect to see the announcer in person.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

They might be under the false impression that listeners give a wit about live and local. It's a great thing to shoot for in theory, but ultimately what listeners was is the highest quality. Doesn't matter if that quality is based out of some city other than the local one.

This forum is rife with the notion that somehow that is the holy grail. Never mind the degree to which non-local programming defined much of the medium’s early years; somehow folks got it into their heads that once content moved to a primarily local delivery that it should be that way forever and always.

It makes no sense to assume most listeners care nor know where a personality is sitting. We don’t expect our movies to only be local, our major music acts, our books, etc. Where the person introducing the new Taylor Swift track, let alone the decades old Whitesnake track happens to physically be is beyond irrelevant.

 

[Gregg.]

This forum is rife with the notion that somehow that is the holy grail. Never mind the degree to which non-local programming defined much of the medium’s early years; somehow folks got it into their heads that once content moved to a primarily local delivery that it should be that way forever and always.

It makes no sense to assume most listeners care nor know where a personality is sitting. We don’t expect our movies to only be local, our major music acts, our books, etc. Where the person introducing the new Taylor Swift track, let alone the decades old Whitesnake track happens to physically be is beyond irrelevant.

Oh, I think you are discounting some of the positive aspects of "live and local." As stations cut back in expenditures, yes, many listeners don't know the difference between voice-tracking and a local DJ. But most listeners like to think the voice on the radio, except for a few national shows, is living in my community, driving the roads I drive, raising kids in a nearby school system, doing the leisure things I do.

Rush Limbaugh proved talk radio listeners would rather hear a national show than a local one if the national show is better. But I think most successful, large-market talk and sports stations find a mix of national and local works best. The best billing talk stations, KFI and WSB, are nearly all local. The best billing sports stations, WBZ-FM and WFAN, are nearly all-local as well.

The best billing music stations, KIIS-FM and WLTW, are nearly all local. They may allow some DJs to voice track from home, but those DJs are doing all their breaks just for KIIS and Lite-FM alone. It's not network voice-tracking as heard in some small to medium markets, where the call letters and moniker are inserted using the DJs voice, just before he/she starts doing the break. ("Q94, Tucson's Best Rock." "Hey, I can't wait for The Stones to go out on tour. We just heard Jumping Jack Flash!")

 

[MassMusicMan]

They stopped delivering Delilah via satellite years ago. They deliver the raw voicetracks via FTP over the Internet.
As I mentioned, the station likely plays different music than another plus different clocks. That's why individual tracks need to be tailored for a particular station' clock.

Nope. I took it off the bird in Rutland, VT.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Oh, I think you are discounting some of the positive aspects of "live and local." As stations cut back in expenditures, yes, many listeners don't know the difference between voice-tracking and a local DJ. But most listeners like to think the voice on the radio, except for a few national shows, is living in my community, driving the roads I drive, raising kids in a nearby school system, doing the leisure things I do.

Of all the things to focus on in daily life, if the person talking between a Coldplay and Dua Lipa tune “drives the roads I drive” is so low in importance as to be subterranean.

Sports and to an extent talk can be different beasts market by market. But for a range of music formats, if you can and want to fill the day “live and local” great. Have at it. But we way, way overstate the “horrors” of tracked (or simply unhosted) slots.

 

[TheBigA]

But we way, way overstate the “horrors” of tracked (or simply unhosted) slots.

Delilah made a career without being live or local. She wasn't the first. Bing Crosby hosted a national radio show in the 1930s. He pre-recorded his part on transcription discs, and invested in a California company called Ampex that was developing a recording machine that used magnetic tape. Somehow the world survived.

 

[Kent]

I'm surprised at how many stations don't have a policy about not eating "listener food". I have heard enough stories about birthday cakes laced with ExLax and the like to be truly scared of such contributions.

Never had to worry about listener food, but one of the jocks at a station where I worked thought inviting a listener to a party we were having at the PD's house was a good idea. The PD was opposed to it but didn't get ahold of the jock in-time to stop him. It was fine until the listener pulled out his "stash" and got high on his supply!

Even since it was possible for studios to be in remote locations, I've found receptionists (when we had those) or front office staff would say, "Bill is working from his home studio today but we'll see if we can get it to him..." That way a sincere listener is not disappointed, but learns not to expect to see the announcer in person.

I was using that line 20 years ago and would even promote a local internet company's DSL to the callers who asked!

Oh, I think you are discounting some of the positive aspects of "live and local." As stations cut back in expenditures, yes, many listeners don't know the difference between voice-tracking and a local DJ. But most listeners like to think the voice on the radio, except for a few national shows, is living in my community, driving the roads I drive, raising kids in a nearby school system, doing the leisure things I do.

Strong local talent has its advantages when it's on a station where people want that. Keep in mind, though, that not everyone wants that. A significant portion of the audience of most stations doesn't want to hear jocks at all. Other problems include strong local talent is hard to develop, and finding someone who has the talent to develop is difficult. Being able to jump in immediately and tell people when something's happening is an advantage, too, but even covering important events got me pushback from listeners more often than it didn't.

"Why are you covering that tornado warning when it's two hours outside of town?" [Our signal actually goes out that far!]

"Your traffic coverage was awful! You didn't tell me how to get around it!" [I don't know where you are, nor do I know where you're going.]

"Everyone already knows that cop got shot. Why do you keep telling us about the suspect?" [He's still on the loose, and we have 2,000 listeners who tune in at various times and may not have heard.]

Those are just a few of the complaints I've gotten over the years. Almost all of them were as stupid as those.

 

[radiocph]

I'm surprised at how many stations don't have a policy about not eating "listener food". I have heard enough stories about birthday cakes laced with ExLax and the like to be truly scared of such contributions.

Even since it was possible for studios to be in remote locations, I've found receptionists (when we had those) or front office staff would say, "Bill is working from his home studio today but we'll see if we can get it to him..." That way a sincere listener is not disappointed, but learns not to expect to see the announcer in person.

I remember, on the old Fidonet Broadcast Echo, a story about a listener bringing a bowl of M&M's to the station. And all the colors were there: red, green, yellow, brown, blue...

Except, back then, there was no such thing as a "Blue M&M!"

A closer look, and the "Blue M&M's" were actually *pills*! What kind of pills, who knew. But that whole bowl of M&Ms went straight into the trash....

 

[Kelly A]

I'm surprised at how many stations don't have a policy about not eating "listener food". I have heard enough stories about birthday cakes laced with ExLax and the like to be truly scared of such contributions.

Or glass, razor blades, rat poison, who knows? Years ago when I worked on the air, there wasn't an official policy about steering clear of 'listener food', but given all the crazy request line callers occasionally showing up at the front desk to drop off food, all the airstaff automatically knew these folks were one taco shy of a combo plate. It wouldn't be uncommon for someone to leave a note in the 'jock lounge' to the effect that some listener has been saying they would be dropping off homemade cookies, so the listener food alert went out.
Now TV news and the remaining local radio airstaff have to worry about a white powder substance showing up in an envelope and being whisked away by medics in plastic suits to the hospital isolation ward. I remember In Las Vegas several years ago, the poor receptionist at the ABC affiliate opened a package that contained homemade anthrax powder.
Over the years I've found active listeners who regularly call the station, want to drop off food, or somehow think they're your personal friend, are completely nuts.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

when i worked in ridgway, pa.. we ate listener food no problem, BUT.... A.) SMALL town and B.) we knew the listeners.. we had two whod bring stuff around the holidays and one was a neighbor of mine!

 

[Kelly A]

Rush Limbaugh proved talk radio listeners would rather hear a national show than a local one if the national show is better. But I think most successful, large-market talk and sports stations find a mix of national and local works best.

My father, a huge Rush Limbaugh fan, (yeah I know) was convinced he was based out of the local AM station. I tried several times to explain syndication, but he would have none of that heretics talk. He heard Rush on the local station, and therefore, Rush was live in the studio at the local station.
It's a lot like telling some folks on this site that DJs never picked their music, and their local station is likely staffed on air by a digital track sent via FTP over the public Internet. I compare it with telling a kid that there is no tooth fairy.

The best billing music stations, KIIS-FM and WLTW, are nearly all local. They may allow some DJs to voice track from home, but those DJs are doing all their breaks just for KIIS and Lite-FM alone. It's not network voice-tracking as heard in some small to medium markets, where the call letters and moniker are inserted using the DJs voice, just before he/she starts doing the break. ("Q94, Tucson's Best Rock."

It depends on the market and whether the local show can be sponsored. Most larger markets make all their local-direct sales for a unique morning show that likely plays no, or little music. Any other shows except for AM drive are just fillers for the morning show to start the next day.
Here in Washington DC, one of the more popular stations is Hot 99.5. They run Ryan Seacrest in the mornings, then run the show again in the midday. And when you think about it, why not? They don't bother with time checks. It's the same music rotated. Traffic reports are inserted around breaks, and there are no listeners to pop that would hang wound for eight or more hours to notice the show re-airs on the same day.

 

[MassMusicMan]

My father, a huge Rush Limbaugh fan, (yeah I know) was convinced he was based out of the local AM station. I tried several times to explain syndication, but he would have none of that heretics talk. He heard Rush on the local station, and therefore, Rush was live in the studio at the local station.

Strange that someone who swats away facts and logic like a batter slapping an undesirable pitch foul was a fan of Rush Limbaugh.

 

[Kelly A]

Strange that someone who swats away facts and logic like a batter slapping an undesirable pitch foul was a fan of Rush Limbaugh.

Re-read my post. I said my father was a fan of Rush Limbaugh. I'd met Rush years ago when he was at KFBK. He seemed at the time like a personable guy.
He certainly broke ground in the genre that became right-wing 'hate talk'.

 

[Miguelito]

I compare it with telling a kid that there is no tooth fairy.

Wait. There's no tooth fairy?!

 

[radiocph]

Over the years I've found active listeners who regularly call the station, want to drop off food, or somehow think they're your personal friend, are completely nuts.

"Play 'Misty' for me"

 

[Kent]

"Play 'Misty' for me"

I had a caller who used to call me every now and then because his mother lived in the listening area. He mentioned his mom had cancer and said she always kept the station on because she found us entertaining and comforting. I told him my mother had had cancer, too, and was not yet cancer free long enough to be considered cured. He checked in a few times over the next year or so, and we talked about our mothers. He also said his son was interested in a career in radio, and he called the next week and had me talk to his son.

I left that station, went to the competition and never heard from the guy again. A few years later, a boy in our listening area was abducted while riding his bike. He was found a few days later, and the abductor was my regular caller. They also found another teenaged boy who had been missing for almost five years. That was his “son” who had talked to me a few years earlier.